Cedar Rapids, Iowa- U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich opened a long-shot bid for the White House yesterday by altering one of his long-standing positions, promising Iowa Democrats he would be "pro-choice" on the question of abortion.

Kucinich, starting his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in a state that will host the first major contest of the 2004 presidential race, said in answer to a question that "as president, I would protect that right [to abortion], and I would also make sure that appointees to the Supreme Court protected that right."

In Congress, Kucinich, who represents Cleveland's West Side and western suburbs, has generally voted against abortion rights and has consistently opposed federal funding of abortion for poor women, a record he acknowledged at a later stop in Iowa City.

He was met in that college town by three women holding abortion-rights placards.

"He has a very poor record with Planned Parenthood," said Gina Shatteman, holding a sign that read "No Forced Motherhood."

Outside the small caucus meetings in the two cities, Kucinich conceded that he had expanded his view on abortion. He said he had grown "increasingly uncomfortable" with debates in Congress that focused narrowly on that issue while ignoring the needs of poor families.

The abortion question was only a small part of Kucinich's presentation in Iowa yesterday. But his evolution appeared to recognize that an anti-abortion position would hurt him in early presidential primaries in Iowa and other states where party activists and liberal special interests dominate the voting.

His comments on abortion did not go unnoticed.

"He said it very clearly that it is hypocritical for those who say they are for life, if they are not willing to support the baby after it comes out of the womb," said Holly Berkowitz, a 50-year-old writer who lives in Iowa City.

Kucinich told the partisans he would file papers with the Federal Election Commission in Washington tomorrow to form a presidential campaign committee. He is scheduled to appear today with other Democratic hopefuls at a candidate forum sponsored by the Iowa AFL-CIO in a Des Moines suburb.

He spoke to small gatherings yesterday as Iowa endured single-digit temperatures and its first significant snowfall of the winter.

Kucinich regaled the Cedar Rapids caucus with stories of his stormy days as Cleveland's mayor, his pro-labor economic agenda and his hard stand against a possible war with Iraq.

Before the day was through, Kucinich had spoken of a childhood in near poverty, quoted John Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and the inscription on the Statue of Liberty and argued against a war with Iraq. "I am going to be all over Iowa," he vowed. Yet at this early stage he has no staff here and hardly any volunteer organization.

Candidates such as Missouri Democrat Richard Gephardt, who won the Iowa caucuses in 1988, have been stumping from Sioux City to Burlington for months.

"In Iowa and New Hampshire, you do not have to have a lot of money," said Linn County Democratic Chairman Joel Miller.

"If you catch fire here, then you can launch a [national] campaign."

Miller was impressed with Kucinich. "He has passion," he said. "He is definitely different from what we have heard before."